The invention relates to display racks for floor and wall coverings.
The invention relates to display racks for floor and wall coverings.
Ceramic tiles are usually displayed upon sample boards that can be moved about display rooms to allow customers to see the tiles in various lights or against certain colors or fabrics. In recent years, there has been a trend to increase the size of individual tiles, particularly those used as floor coverings. To create more attractive displays, several tiles are often attached to each sample board, either by layering or water saw cutting pieces to fit, and, therefore, create, a more artistic presentation. These new innovative display techniques have created a need for display racks that are capable of displaying tiles in a limited space. Ceramic tiles weigh approximately 3.5 pounds per square foot. Hence, display racks for these tiles must be sturdy.
A known means for displaying tiles mounted on display boards is to incorporate them into display racks that contain multiple hinged wings. These display racks have the advantage of allowing a large number of tiles to be available for inspection by customers, yet, at the same time, occupying a relatively small amount of valuable floor space in a retail establishment. These display racks promote tile breakage, since the wings that are fitted with back pivot pins knock into one another, and the displayed tiles often contact one another with force sufficient to cause breakage.
A proposed method for preventing this accidental breakage is to mount resilient stops or bumpers on the wings. These stops are usually mounted on the front edge of the wings. While preventing breakage to a limited extent, these stops are not entirely satisfactory, particularly when layered tiles are mounted on the display racks.
Another problem with prior art display racks is that the wings are permanently mounted on the racks. Frequently, there is no provision for easily removing individual tiles from the racks. Often, the racks are not movable and are located in dark, poorly illuminated areas, thus making a poor presentation of the tiles on display. In nearly all instances, there is no provision for the easy removal or replacement of the wings. In addition, many prior art racks are unitary in construction and cannot be disassembled for shipping or storage.
The invention, therefore, provides to the art a number of improvements and advantages over the prior art. It provides a sturdy space saving rack for displaying ceramic tiles and other floor and wall coverings, such as glass or marble tiles that are included in the meaning of the term xe2x80x9cceramic tilesxe2x80x9d as it is used in the specification and claims. It stores upon rotatable vertical wings a large number of easily removable tile containing sample boards that may be of different sizes. The display rack also allows the wings to remain in the open or closed position without moving. It also uses a bumper system that protects the displayed tiles from damage or breakage due to accidental moving of the wings. It provides interchangeable wings designed to be removed from the display rack and stored elsewhere in a manner allowing the mounted tiles to be viewed. With the quick removal feature, it is possible to quickly display new tile selections when old ones are removed.
The display rack of the invention for ceramic tiles has two framed sides, a back, and an open front. It has the following specific elements: left and right frames, having tops, bottoms, backs, and fronts. Further, it has a top beam, having a front, a top, and a bottom, connecting the back of the tops of the left and right frames. Also, there is a bottom beam, having a front, a top, and a base, connecting the back of the bottoms of the left and right frames at a point forward of the position of the top beam.
A plurality of spaced apart, angled pins is located in the bottom of the top beam and in the top of the bottom beam. The spacing is desirably equidistant. They are arranged in the form of approximately equal arcs that have their apex at the center of the top and bottom beams. The pins in the top beam are longer than the pins in the bottom beam. There is a top covering at least the front portions of the left and right frames, and a horizontal foot securing the front ends of the bottoms of the left and right frames.
A further element of the display rack is a plurality of wings removably mounted within the display rack. These wings are rectangular frames, having sides, tops, bottoms, backs, and fronts, and are sized to be received within the display rack. These wings have vertical holes in the top and bottom of their backs that mate with and are longer than the pins. The wings contain a plurality of parallel channels, having U-shaped sides or guides, a back, and a front, and are usually opposed. They are mounted horizontally, on opposite sides of the sides of the wings, for receiving in a sliding relationship vertical ceramic tile sample boards. A final element is the presence of resilient bumpers attached to the wings.
The display rack described above may contain the additional features. The base of the bottom beam at about its center contains an adjustable leg to prevent sagging of the center portion of the back beam. To improve appearance and visibility of the tiles displayed in the rack, the back and top are covered. The front of the top beam contains a light and a reflector in the form of an assembly that may be hinged for ease of servicing the lights. This allows easing viewing of the displayed tiles by customers. For the sake of convenience, the lights are controlled by a switch located on the front of one side of the display rack. The reflector, in addition to directing light on the wings, may have a front portion containing an opaque light transmitting area for advertising purposes.
The pins are at an angle of about 1.5xc2x0 to 10xc2x0, preferably 2xc2x0 to 5xc2x0, and, most preferably, 3xc2x0 to 4xc2x0. The vertical holes in the back of the wings should contain approximately matching angles and be oversized. The angled pins, coupled with their arcuate placement, allow the wings to act as though they were pages of a flat or tilted loosely bound book. As the wings are turned, they remain in place, whether it be the first wing turned, or all of the wings, thereby exposing the last one. To allow the wings to be turned easily, the angled pins on the top of the bottom beam are fitted with washers that mate with grommets located in the holes in the bottom of the vertical back side of the wing. The bottom front of the wings are fitted with legs.
The backs of the parallel channels contain a vertical stop. The wings contain U-shaped parallel channels. They are opposed when the sides of the sample boards are identical. They have a top channel and a bottom channel, each having inner and outer sides, a back, and a front, mounted horizontally on opposite sides of the sides of the wings for receiving in a vertical sliding relationship ceramic tile sample boards. They have the inner sides of the top and bottom channels attached to the sides of the frame. The outer sides of the top channel are taller than the inner sides on the bottom channel. This allows all of the sample boards to be removed by sliding them out from the front of the channels, which is open. They may be removed by being lifted vertically upward and then outwardly. The vertical space between the channels may be varied to accommodate sample boards of different sizes. The resilient bumpers are mounted on the front, preferably, on the top front end of the wings, and are curved. Further, the resilient bumpers are detachable. Another useful feature of the invention is that the display rack is capable of being assembled and disassembled, since its elements are designed to be fastened using fasteners, such as screws and nuts and bolts.